State backs pumped hydro

PUMPED HYDRO: Water will be pumped from a lower reservoir into the higher one when energy is cheap then — when demand for power is high and prices rise — run back down again and put through a turbine to generate electricity.

South Australia continues to move towards renewable energy and Port Augusta remains at the forefront.

The state government have backed four new pumped hydro energy storage projects in the Upper Spencer Gulf with almost $9 million in grants from the Renewable Technology Fund.

The projects, two of which are located near Port Augusta, total 750MW of generation capacity to the South Australian grid.

“The key to lowering power prices in South Australia is boosting competition, and these projects have the potential to dispatch cheap renewable energy when demand is high,” Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said.

“Storage of renewable energy is the future and South Australia has entrenched itself as a hub for the development of large-scale storage projects.”

250MW of that storage could come from the Goat Hill project located at Lincoln Gap, 12 kilometres west of Port Augusta.

ENERGY: Altura Group Manager of Approvals and Environment Mark Endersby and Senior Project Engineer Sinja Pejanovic spoke to residents about the Goat Hill Pumped Storage Hydro Project in November last year.

The $410 million project has received a $4.7 million grant to go towards development phase activities before a final investment decision is to be made.

Construction could begin as early as the second half of 2018 and the project is expected to deliver 200 employment opportunities over two and a half years – with 15 operational jobs available at the facility from the end of 2020 and beyond.

Altura Group’s Goat Hill Project is one of two pumped hydro projects in the works for Port Augusta.